Bishop saint sculpture, religious popular sculpture, wood, France, late 1700/1800 century. The figure is hand-carved from a single piece of massive, painted wood, and depicts Saint Gildas bishop saint wearing a mitra and cape, with a bishop staff (crozier) and a gospel book/bible.
The figure is characteristic of the French popular religious woodcutting tradition, "sculpture populaire religieuse". The base is painted black and bears a handwritten inscription: “Zt. Gweldas”, likely a local writing of the Breton saint Saint Gildas from the Celtic-Christian tradition, where figures like this were produced by local craftsmen, and sold on markets or at pilgrimage sites for pilgrims.
The original polychromy in reddish-brown, ochre, white and black is preserved in its entirety, with natural wear and cracking as evidence of authenticity, age and use.
Dimensions: 26.1×7,2x6 cm. Condition: see pictures.
